The vent of a hyperactive mind.

Anxiety and depression are getting an increasing amount of media attention and for all of the right reasons. Inferiority complexes and mental health in general, is widely becoming accepted as something of vital importance to healthy modern day living. Indeed, what's the point, if we can't be happy and relaxed at least some of the time in our lives? However, I was at a fascinating training earlier this week about public narrative. Tony talked passionately about the masks that young adults, especially young men have to wear. I guess he was talking about the 'brave face' mask, the 'not offended' mask, the 'laugh it off' mask and the 'look how strong I am' mask. Masks that cover what many gentlemen (and women) feel, which can quite often be loneliness, weakness and feelings of overwhelm. But then there are some individuals, not always men, who wear their masks all the time, and who's masks eventually end up becoming part of their personalit...

I've just read an interesting article that started examining the physical affects of anxiety and depression on the mind. It cited the shrinking of the hippo campus and the relative ineffectiveness and lack of evidence of medicinal remedies. I was fascinated until it reached it's conclusion, that the cure, is healthy eating,  exercise and a change of mind.  All of the things that, anyone will tell you, never happen whilst your suffering. From my own perspective, (a severe bout case of anxiety, with mild to moderate depression) I knew all of these 'secrets' would help. But when the motivation is missing, and you feel like you've nothing left to live for, sufferers simply cannot do them. My eating became lazy, accompanied with thoughts that if I got lucky, I might just have a heart attack and die anyway. I didn't want to wake up in the morning, why would I bother cooking myself a nutritious lunch? Exercise, yes, I knew that would make a difference, but...